Description

Head out for adventure on the unpaved back roads of America with Nick Legan’s complete guide to gravel grinders and bikepacking!

Gravel cycling is a glorious return to the purest roots of two-wheeled adventure. From farm roads and miners’ paths to the high passes of the Rockies and the Alps, gravel cycling and bikepacking will set you free to explore, enjoy, persevere, and discover.

Drawing on interviews with top gravel junkies and his own hard-won knowledge from countless backcountry miles, Legan covers all the gear, bike setup, riding tips, course previews, and outfitting strategies you need to enjoy gravel cycling with confidence. He profiles 18 favorite one-day gravel events and 8 epic multiday bikepacking adventure routes. Legan shares colorful stories of the origins of gravel cycling in North America and its rapid spread to Europe, Asia, and South America. Best of all, this full-color guide is packed with more than 320 gorgeous photographs from beautiful rides that will inspire you to seek out dirt and gravel roads near you.

Legan brings his experience as a ProTour bike mechanic to this guide, offering detailed data on bike setup, how to build your own dream gravel bike. He shares crucial ride-saving tips and smart ways to make sure you’ll enjoy every moment.

Over one-third of the roads in the U.S. are unpaved, which means you can enjoy the roads less travelled at the perfect pace to soak up new vistas and valleys, canyons and creeks—or push the pace over an epic day with fast friends. From gear to racing, route planning to camping—the wild ride of a lifetime awaits you in GRAVEL CYCLING.

Additional information

“Gravel Cycling is an encyclopedia but definitely not an unabridged one. Still, the book gives you stunning visuals, enough stoke to last a lifetime, and valuable bits of knowledge from many of the best soldiers in the trenches of the gravel and bikepacking worlds… As a ‘coffee table paperback’, it makes for a stunning presentation of the gravel and bikepacking scenes. Combined with the technical and practical knowledge that you can access from this book, the value it presents far outweighs the asking price. The honesty with which Nick looks at the gravel and bikepacking scenes and the clear way which he navigates the reader through this book is refreshing as well. Would it make a great gift for the aspiring or avid gravel/bikepacker? Absolutely.” — RidingGravel.com

“Gravel Cycling is both a utilitarian reference for gravel riding and a celebration of the fastest growing discipline in the cycling world…Worthy of display with its top-notch photographs; selected race and tour descriptions from around the world; and Q&As with race promoters, athletes, bicycle designers, route-planners, and other experts.” — Mountain Flyer

“Gravel riding and bikepacking are buzzing. You’d be hard-pressed to find a more knowledgeable gravel rider and writer than Nick Legan…Legan’s book is packed with more than 250 pages of insights on two-wheeled adventure off the beaten path.” — Gear Junkie

“This IS the go-to book for your next adventure!” — Yuri Hauswald

“With beautiful photos, detailed maps and illustrations, and spot-on guides, Legan covers everything from the history of gravel cycling to the best international routes and the bikes of the gravel-racing pros.” —Adventure Cyclist